Our Vintage Cafe with Rodney Crowell is from around the time of his Sex and Gasoline album in 2008. That album is a bit of a change for Rodney who most often produces himself. It was produced by Joe Henry in his Pasadena studio. Rodney is currently back out on tour with Emmylou Harris, playing music from throughout their long intersecting careers. This session features performances from the stage of World Cafe Live. Sex and Gasoline is a thematic album focusing on women and female archetypes triggered, at least partially, by his daughter growing up. It’s always a great conversation with the articulate author and songwriter.

Session Setlist
THE RISE AND FALL OF INTELLIGENT DESIGN
SEX AND GASOLINE
FLY BOY AND THE KID

Award-winning Rodney Crowell has been called Nashville's 'golden boy' and the 'songwriter's songwriter' and for his unique, dualistic status in the music industry

; he has repeatedly had his hits rewritten by other big-name artists, and has rewritten the hits of other big-name artists in return, including Johnny Cash's legendary 'Ring of Fire', which Cash subsequently sang.His work is often associated with country music, but much of what he has produced could easily be placed in many different genres, including rock, folk, swing, and bluegrass. Crowell's musical influences include the work of friends Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt.

After notably playing guitar and singing in Emmylou Harris's band during the late seventies as well as contributing to and spearheading numerous other projects, he took a hiatus at the end of the nineties, but has returned in the 21st century with his formidable skills gaining more recognition and respect than ever before.

The critically acclaimed The Houston Kid (2001) and Fate’s Right Hand (2003) were his deepest, most fully-developed records in his long, sometimes darkly glittering career. Sex and Gasoline, his latest musical release, is said to be wholly inspired by women. Crowell feels that "Sex and Gasoline" is filled with innovation, and includes, in his words, "...some of the best performances I've given to date."

Crowell has also recently put his gift for words to paper, and released the memoir "Chinaberry Sidewalks". It's gritty and full of Crowell's childhood experiences; he's currently on a solo acoustic tour, putting these memories to song.

Join us for Free At Noon Double Feature that features Nickel Creek at the World Cafe Live Philly and Rodney Crowell at the World Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington each performing a live midday concert on Friday.

Bluegrass trio Nickel Creek have reunited and are celebrating with the release of A Dotted Line, the group’s first in about nine years. In 2003, Nickel Creek won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album for roots rock album This Side. Though the group took a brief hiatus in 2007, it didn’t stop them from playing. Each member has adopted a successful solo career, but have since come back together.Catch Nickel Creek at Tower Theatre in Upper Darby after their Free at Noon performance. Tickets for the later show can be purchased here

Famous country singer Rodney Crowell has still got it. Known for his work with Emmylou Harris and as a solo artist, Crowell made a name for himself beginning with his 1988 album Diamonds & Dirt and the five number-one hits it spawned. At 63, Crowell is still recording and releasing new material. His latest album, Tarpaper Sky, maintains a traditional country style while working in bluesy influences. Catch Crowell tonight at World Cafe Live in Wilmington after his Free at Noon performance. Tickets for his later show can be purchased here.

It might be hard to imagine what collaboration between an best-selling memoirist and English professor and a Grammy award winning country singer-songwriter might sound like. Kin: Songs by Mary Karr & Rodney Crowell, released this June is just that. Superbly crafted, the album tells a story of family from the perspective of love and loss.

Karr is a masterful story-teller herself. Her best-selling memoir, The Liar’s Club, and her other works all deal with such themes. Crowell has perfected his style of unabashed self-expression over a long career with over thirteen studio albums released. Karr and Crowell enlisted the talents of artists including Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, and Rosanne Cash to get the story told.

Website: http://rodneycrowell.com

Set List: IF THE LAW DON'T WANT YOU / Kin: Songs by Mary Karr & Rodney CrowellMOMMA'S ON A ROLL I'M A MESS

It was 1975 when Emmylou Harris had to figure out how to make a solo album after bewitching us as Gram Parsons duet partner. Her record company told her to “get a hot band.” She got The Hot Band with James Burton on lead and a newcomer, Rodney Crowell, on rhythm guitar and most importantly song-writing. Emmylou and Rodney’s new album Old Yellow Moon doesn’t necessarily recreate that first album Pieces of the Sky but it feels just as good. They join me today to talk some old times but also tell about the music that moves them. And we’ll talk about Nashville then and now. They’ll also play live and sing together so beautifully on our World Cafe Sense of Place: Nashville feature.

As witnessed by his incredible performance at the XPN All About The Music Festival in July, Rodney Crowell has returned with yet another amazing album of country influenced rock songs. The Outsider is the third of a trilogy of CD’s that he’s released (The Houston Kid and Fate’s Right Hand being the first two) that find him at yet another creative peak of his long outstanding career.

Throughout his career Crowell has penned dozens of classic hit songs for artists like Emmylou Harris, Bob Seger, Rosanne Cash, The Oak Ridge Boys, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, including “Ain’t Living Long Like This,” “Till I Gain Control Again,” and “Shame On The Moon.” On his own, he’s released a dozen albums since his 1978 debut and he continues to grow as a songwriter and a performer.

The Outsider finds Rodney in excellent voice and features Will Kimbrough on guitar, Buddy and Julie Miller, John Prine, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Emmylou Harris, who joins Crowell on a Celtic-tinged cover of Bob Dylan's "Shelter From the Storm." Songs like “The Obscenity Prayer,” “Say You Love Me,” “Ignorance Is The Enemy,” and “Dancin’ Circles Round The Sun,” are some of his best songs ever. The Outsider is a natural progression for Crowell as a songwriter. Thirty years in to his illustrious career he keeps getting better.

As witnessed by his incredible performance at the XPN All About The Music Festival in July, Rodney Crowell has returned with yet another amazing album of country influenced rock songs. The Outsider is the third of a trilogy of CD’s that he’s released (The Houston Kid and Fate’s Right Hand being the first two) that find him at yet another creative peak of his long outstanding career.

Throughout his career Crowell has penned dozens of classic hit songs for artists like Emmylou Harris, Bob Seger, Rosanne Cash, The Oak Ridge Boys, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, including “Ain’t Living Long Like This,” “Till I Gain Control Again,” and “Shame On The Moon.” On his own, he’s released a dozen albums since his 1978 debut and he continues to grow as a songwriter and a performer.

The Outsider finds Rodney in excellent voice and features Will Kimbrough on guitar, Buddy and Julie Miller, John Prine, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Emmylou Harris, who joins Crowell on a Celtic-tinged cover of Bob Dylan's "Shelter From the Storm." Songs like “The Obscenity Prayer,” “Say You Love Me,” “Ignorance Is The Enemy,” and “Dancin’ Circles Round The Sun,” are some of his best songs ever. The Outsider is a natural progression for Crowell as a songwriter. Thirty years in to his illustrious career he keeps getting better.